


Miracle Romance

by katrani



Category: Thrilling Intent
Genre: Angst, Earn Your Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Modern AU, Multi, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katrani/pseuds/katrani
Summary: Ashe and Markus have both always been plagued by odd dreams. They've managed to live normal lives despite that, until they meet each other, and everything changes.





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write Sailor Moon fanfic but prefer the TI characters. This is not a SM AU, but the base is pretty obvious in the setup. Hope everyone enjoys, and I plan to update semi-regularly!

_ The room was lit only by candles, their smoke rising in aimless tendrils, filling the room just as much as their light. A girl knelt before an altar, chanting in a steady but quiet voice. He watched her, entranced, his fingers drumming against the blade of his sword in time with her words. She raised her arms, her voice suddenly growing louder. Blue light pulsed from the lines covering her body, shining across the jewels that were her only apparel. Her chanting grew louder still as she stood, and turned, and held her hand out to him, beckoning him to her. _

_ He took her hand, let her pull him into her dance, joined his voice with hers as the cadence of her words shifted into a song. He looked down at her, never wanting to forget those golden eyes, or the starlight shining in her hair. _

_ All too soon, the dance was done. She spun him to the altar, placing her hands on his shoulders to stop him before the statue of a giant serpentine beast. Its mouth opened, and- _

The buzzing of Markus Velafi’s alarm interrupted his dream. He blinked, then rolled over and grabbed blindly for his phone. He managed to hit the button to stop the alarm, but heard his glasses clatter to the floor as he did. He groaned, knowing that it would take a good five minutes to find them in the various piles of clothes and pillows that was his floor. He sat on his knees on the bed, squinting as he tried to examine the mess of colors from up here.

“Lose something?”

He looked up, grinning despite his annoyance at how his morning started. “Kyr! I thought you had class already.”

The blur standing in the doorway made a motion that could’ve been a shrug, though Markus couldn’t be sure at the moment. “I guess Professor Colfus’ kids are sick. He canceled.” The redhead walked over, stopping once he reached the foot of the bed. He stared at the floor for a minute, then knelt and plucked Markus’ glasses from the scarf that they’d landed on. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Markus put them on, relaxing as the world settled into clarity. “You’re the best.”

Kyr’s face turned bright red. He half-stood, then wrapped his arms around Markus and smooched his cheek as he pulled him back down onto the bed. “No, you are!” he insisted.

Markus chuckled, relaxing into his boyfriend’s arms. “I had one of those dreams again,” he said, once they’d spent a few minutes cuddling.

“About the blue-light girl?” Kyr let go of him and sat up, his brow furrowing in thought. “That’s what, the fifth time this month?”   


“Yeah. They’re getting more frequent.”   


“Maybe you should write about her, then.”

Markus pursed his lips, thinking that over. He  _ had  _ considered it, a few times, except- “It feels too personal,” he admitted. “Somehow, I think I’d be betraying something, if I did that.” He stretched his arms above his head as he sat up too. “That probably sounds weird.”

Kyr hugged him again, gently nuzzling the side of Markus’ neck. “Not at all. There’s a few things that I never want to show anyone until they’re done, even you.” He sighed, then let go and got to his feet. “It was just an idea. Come on, I made breakfast, it’s going to get cold.”

“Well why didn’t you say so!” Markus scrambled to his feet, following Kyr towards the kitchen.

\---------

“Ashe, are you even listening to me? Hey, numbskull!”

She blinked, startled out of her thoughts. “Huh? Sorry, Inien. What were you saying?”

Her dark-haired roommate was glaring at her, a chipped mug hanging off her finger. “I said, you need to be more careful. Your pans wound up on top of my cup, and it’s busted now.”

“Oh!” Ashe at least looked contrite, for a second. “Well, maybe if you would wash stuff more often than once a week, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Inien stuck her tongue out, then plopped down on the couch next to her; it was too early in the morning to be really angry, and it had been an ugly mug anyways. “So, what’re you up to today? Are you seeing your mysterious new catch again?”

“Her name is Firi,” Ashe said, defensive as a blush crept across her face. “And yeah, I am. We’re going to dinner.”

“Oooooh, where at?” Inien leaned over, trying to look at Ashe’s computer as she takked away on her keyboard.

Ashe moved to the other end of the couch, placing her back against the armrest so Inien couldn’t peek without getting up. “None of your business! And besides, I’m not talking to her right now.”

“Uh-huh.” Inien didn’t sound convinced. She rested her elbow on her knee and her head in her palm as she stared the redhead down. “How am I supposed to help you pick an outfit if I don’t know the fanciness of the place you’re going?”

She raised an eyebrow at Inien, gestured around at their surroundings: bubbled paint in the leaky roof, duct tape over a hole near one window where ants kept trying to come in, a kitchen window that wouldn’t shut all the way, a baseboard coming loose from the wall. “Yes, clearly I’ll be going to the swankiest place in the city.”

Inien stuck her tongue out. “No need to be rude. I’m just trying to help.”

“Sure you are.” Ashe rolled her eyes, going back to her typed conversations. Someone was wrong on the forums for her favorite books, and she just could not leave it alone. She wondered if she should enlist Inien’s help, and glanced up, only to jump as the other woman’s voice sounded from just behind her.

“So what were you thinking about?”   


“Don’t  _ do  _ that!” Ashe shouted, twisting about as she slammed her laptop shut. “Stars and stones, Inien, I thought we’ve been over that!”

She laughed, short and snide. “We have, but it’s so fun to torment you sometimes. Anyways, what were you thinking about earlier?”

“When?”

“When you zoned out while I was yelling at you."

“Oh.” Ashe shook her head, sighing. “I keep having these weird dreams, about a guy in armor.” She bit her lip, looking out the window, to the busy road down below. It was easier to talk about weird things, if she didn’t look at anyone else in the room. “I think some kind of prince? He always looks handsome, and there’s another guy that looks like him sometimes, wearing a crown. He’ll come to me, and tell me how important I am, and how important it is that we keep things a secret.”

“How romantic,” Inien commented, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “How long have you been having these dreams?”

“Since I was in middle school, actually,” Ashe admitted. “Maybe even earlier? But they’ve been way more often lately. Like two or three times a week.”

“Well, then it sounds like something completely normal for you, and nothing at all to worry about.” Inien got to her feet, and held out her hand to pull Ashe up. “Anyways, just tell me where you’re taking your gal to tonight, so I can help you get ready.”

“I don’t need your help, Inien.”

“Of course you don’t, Ashy, but let’s try anyways.”

\--------

The restaurant’s lot was empty as they pulled up. Markus let out a low whistle. “Damn, it’s never been this slow. What happened?”

“Some kind of tasting event on the other side of Fifth,” Kyr answered. “Most people probably went to that instead of going out to eat tonight.”

Markus nodded. “That makes sense, I guess.” He still wasn’t used to big cities and the rate of events that happened here. He squeezed Kyr’s hand once before letting go so they could get out of the truck. “You sure you got the bill tonight?”

Kyr nodded. “Of course! I can’t let you handle everything all the time, and I managed to actually save some money this month, so I wanted to treat you.”

“Fine.” Markus grinned up at him, following him inside. The aroma of fresh bread and pasta and tomatoes hit them instantly, and his mouth started to water. “I really shouldn’t have skipped lunch.”

The hostess hurriedly put away her phone as they entered, straightening at her podium. “Hi, welcome to Fennecci’s,” she said, giving them both a smile. "Table for two?"

“If it’s not any trouble,” Kyr answered, with a glance around the empty restaurant, and to the employees rushing to look busy over in the kitchen.

“Of course.” The hostess grabbed two menus, but paused, looking around. “You know what? Why don’t you two choose where you want to sit.” She handed them the menus. “And I’ll send Narnie over to take your orders.”

“Really? Thanks a lot!” Kyr started walking towards a booth in the corner, where it would be easy for them to hold hands under the table, but paused when he realized his boyfriend wasn’t following him. “Markus?”

The blonde blinked, shook his head, and followed Kyr. “Sorry. I was a little distracted, I guess,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.

“Is she your dream girl?” Kyr teased, sliding into his seat. He frowned at Markus’ confused expression, and tapped his cheek. “Her tattoos?”

“Oh! No.” Markus sat next to him, laying his hand over Kyr’s and entwining their fingers. He took a moment to appreciate the feeling, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back on the seat. “Hers are more purple than blue, aren’t they? And the girl in my dreams doesn’t have any on her face, I don’t think. I was more curious about her heterochromia.”

Kyr sighed heavily. “I know, my eyes could never be that cool.”

Markus rolled his eyes, and leaned forward with his elbow on the table so he could turn and look Kyr in the eyes. “I promise, there’s no one besides you that I can spend hours staring at, even if she does have two different colors.”

Kyr brightened and kissed him briefly. That settled, the two of them opened their menus, talking back and forth about what they wanted since they both knew they’d wind up splitting their meals anyways.

The bell on the door chimed, making Markus look up. A girl in a dark green flannel walked in, her fluffy red hair threatening to burst out of its ponytail. Instead of waiting near the door, she walked straight up to the short wall that divided the kitchen from the dining room. “Firi, I’m here!” she called.

“Ashe!” The hostess came back into view, pushing a very tall, gangly-looking person ahead of her. “I’ll be right there, I just have to make sure Narnie actually gets some work done.”

“Why not take their order yourself?” the other grumbled, running a long-fingered hand through their stringy black hair.

“‘Cause you have to earn your paycheck,” Firi insisted. “Just- give me five minutes, Ashe, okay?”

“No problem. I’ll just be waiting in my car.” The redheaded girl waved cheerily, then turned and left as quickly as she’d came.

“Hi, I’m Narn,” the tall server rasped as they approached Kyr and Markus’ table. “What can I get for you today?”

Markus barely registered the question, staring after the redhead. “Excuse me,” he said, sliding out of the booth. He ignored Kyr’s confused questions as he hurried outside, casting about for the girl.  _ She has red hair, and green eyes, but her face is- I know I’ve seen her before!  _

He spotted her, across the parking lot, leaning against a car that was covered in rust spots, with a window that didn’t seem to be in its track properly, from how it leaned forward in the doorframe. She had her phone out, but looked up as he approached.

“Who are y…” she started, the question drifting off as she looked up. She tensed, her eyes narrowing angrily. “Who are you?” she repeated, her voice firm but strained.   


He swallowed nervously, staring into her eyes. He could practically see himself reflected there, and everything he felt- the shock, the fear, the curiosity, the awe. “I’m Markus Velafi,” he said, quietly, not wanting to break the spell. “And I think I know you.”

She straightened, never breaking eye contact with him. “I know you, too,” she whispered. “And you…”  
  
“You’re the one I’ve been searching for,” they both said, and before he knew it had happened, Markus had wrapped his arms around her, and she was burying her face against his chest, clinging to him like she would never let go.


	2. Reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe's night does not go at all how she planned.

“Markus? What’s going on?” Kyr’s voice made Markus look up, and he sprang away from the girl in front of him.

“I… It’s nothing,” he said, hurrying over to his boyfriend. “She’s just… She’s…” For once, he couldn’t think of what to say. The truth was too much to try and explain right now, but he couldn’t lie to Kyr.

The girl also looked stricken. She shook her head, and ran her hands through her hair as if she was trying to force her thoughts into place along with it. “Sorry. I thought he was someone else,” she said. “Don’t worry about it, please."

Kyr glanced between the two of them. “This is weird,” he insisted. He looked down at Markus, gently grasping his hands. “Please tell me what’s going on? You never act like this.”

Markus looked over his shoulder at the red-haired girl once more, just in time to see the restaurant hostess- now in a white blouse, red skirt, and black vest, instead of her uniform- run up to her from the far side of the building. He shook his head, trying to put her out of his mind, and turned back to his own redhead. “Sorry, buddy. I guess it is weird,” he admitted. “Let’s just go eat our dinner, and I’ll try to figure this out.”

As they walked back inside, Kyr fussing over him, he told himself that he did not hear the girl’s car starting, that he did  _ not  _ care that she was driving away without him even knowing her name. It didn’t matter, not at all.

\------

The door  _ clunk _ ed as Ashe pulled on it, and she glared at the lock. “You are a jerk,” she grumbled at it, before leaning against the wall and staring at the list of names on the various condo doorbells. She should know which one to hit by memory, but instead it took a full minute before the letters came into focus and she could finally hit the right intercom.

“Thog! Thoooooog!” She let her forehead rest against the wall as she waited for him to buzz her in. “Thog, c’mon, let’s drink, like you and your frat used to!”

She looked up a minute later when the inner door opened. “Thog! Took you long enough, you asshole.”

Dark eyes stared at her, appraising her current appearance: flannel hanging off one shoulder, a bruise starting to show on one cheek, quarter-full bottle of vodka in one hand, phone in a death grip in the other. “I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” Thog muttered, before stepping aside and waving her past him. “Let’s get you inside.”

He walked behind her as she made her way up the stairs to his condo, ready to catch her if she stumbled. Moren was waiting at the top of the third flight, his hair ruffled as he nervously put his hand through it. “Geez Ashe, I thought you just had a date tonight. What happened?”

Ashe glanced at her phone, then up at both of them. “I fucked up,” she admitted. “Real bad. Firi probably won’t talk to me again.” Even though she was swaying on her feet, her speech was surprisingly unslurred. “So I went to take care of some things.”

“You mean you started a fight,” Thog said, giving her a slight nudge to actually get her inside their home. “At least you only took one punch, it looks like.”

“Of course!” Ashe gestured with the bottle in her hand as she flopped onto their couch. “Guy was too bulky. I’m way too fast for that kind of thing. Took forever to get him down though.”

Moren and Thog shared a look, before the blonde sat down next to Ashe, concern etched into his face. “Why don’t you tell us what happened,” he prompted, gently trying to take the bottle from her.

She jerked her hand away from him and took another swig. “Guess it can’t fucking hurt.” She leaned her head back on the couch, sighing. “I just- there was this guy, and he was… Right there! When I was supposed to pick up Firi, and he had all my attention- like, he’s important, I know he is, even though he isn’t, I’ve never seen the guy before in my life. And Firi and I still went out, but I just  couldn’t! Focus! On her!” Ashe leaned forward suddenly, her head to her knees as she let out a groan. “She’s the best person I’ve met in a while, and I totally ignored her because I was too wrapped up in my fucking dreams to talk to her properly. Fuck!”

Again, Thog and Moren shared a look, and Thog sat on Ashe’s other side. “I don’t quite get it,” he said, rubbing her back. “But I’m sure it’s fine. You two still spent some time together, right? Has she messaged you since then?” Ashe held up her phone without a word, and Thog took it so he could look at her texts, deciding against his usual warning that she really needed to set up a password.

_ I made it home alright. Tonight was nice. Thank you. _

He grimaced, but decided to fib instead of being honest, for once. “Well she doesn’t say to leave her alone or anything, at least.”

Ashe merely groaned again. “This sucks! She didn’t even want a ride from me, she had one of her roommates pick her up. I’m telling you, I screwed up!”

“What about the guy? Do you even know his name?” Moren asked, clearly unsure of what to say.

Ashe shook her head, her ponytail finally coming loose and her hair collapsing in a puff around her head. “No! That’s just it- I’ve only seen him in those stupid dreams, and I can’t… But he knew who I was too, and I just- it’s so weird, and it sucks, and I hate it, and this is totally not what I need in my life right now!” She swore again, realizing she was starting to cry. “Dammit, I need to punch something else.” She started to stand, only for the guys to each grab one of her hands and pull her back down.

Thog glared at her as he pushed her back. “Sit,” he ordered. “I’m going to get you some water, and you’re going to drink it, and then you’re going to sleep. I’m going to text Inien, and we’ll all help you out- in the morning, understand? Nothing is getting resolved tonight, no matter what we do. So just sit, and get some rest, ‘cause that’s all you’re capable of right now. Got it?”

Ashe’s face scrunched up as she thought that over, but she couldn’t think of any arguments and had to nod. “Okay. I guess.” She took off her flannel, bundling it up in her lap and picking at some stray threads in it while Thog got her some water and Moren found their extra pillows and a blanket. “Thanks, guys,” she muttered as she lay down to sleep. “You’re both great.”

“See if you’re saying that in the morning,” Thog grumbled, though he had to fight to keep from smiling. “Good night, Ashe.”

“Night.”

They both headed to their room, and she curled up on the couch, still replaying the night’s events in her head. Meeting the tall blonde, her disastrous date with Firi, deciding to get drunk and then getting into a fight in the store’s parking lot, having to run off as cops were called. It was not at all what she expected, but then, when did things ever go according to plan for her?

She yawned and closed her eyes, sleep coming much more easily than she’d thought it would.

_ Eyes bore into her back. She tried not to fidget, knowing she had to wait. Only another minute in the prayers, another minute of focus, and then the night was hers. She’d be able to go and see him, and everything would be better. _

_ Eternity stretched between seconds, until, finally, the head priest finished his call for aid and guidance to their god. She forced herself to stand up slowly, knowing that if she rushed off there would be too many questions, and she’d be forced to go through the purity rituals again- rituals that would keep her isolated for weeks. _

_ “Sleep well, if the stars do not speak to you,” she said to the priest, who simply nodded at her in response. She left the shrine at a measured pace, but as soon as grass touched her feet she was running, the gems at her waist and in her hair clinking together as she rushed to the deepest parts of the palace. _

_ He waited for her there, in a thick garden of a courtyard, a quill and book in his hands, an inkwell by his feet. He looked up as she skidded to a stop before him, her heart pounding both from seeing him and from her run, her smile shy as his face lit up. _

_ “I didn’t think you would come here,” he said, setting his book on a low branch of the tree he sat under. He stood and embraced her, burying his face in her hair. She held onto him, glad for the feel of him, even the point of his horns as one of them pricked at the back of her head. _

_ “Of course I would. I would never abandon you,” she promised. “Not after last time. I just had to wait until the nightly prayers were done.” _

_ “I’m glad.” He straightened, his blue eyes staring down at her. She met his gaze, wanting to drown in them, but she knew their time was limited. Dawn already tinged the horizon, and this stolen moment was all they could have until tomorrow. He touched her face, as if he knew her thoughts, and she held onto him for as long as she could, until his own duties called him away with the sunrise. _

\------------

Ashe rolled over as sunlight crossed her face, letting out a small moan. Her head was pounding and her throat felt sticky and dusty. She blinked, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, before looking to her right and seeing the familiar red fabric that was Thog and Moren’s couch. As soon as she recognized it, the previous night came flooding back to her, and she let out another groan, this time accompanied by a string of swears.

“I know it’s not that comfortable, but that’s no reason to be mad at it,” Thog drawled from somewhere across the room. “I’m surprised you’re up so early.”

Ashe turned to glare at him, ignoring the pulsing in her head that followed the sudden movement. “Yeah well, I’m not the one with a huge window right in front of my couch.”

Thog shrugged. “It looks neat, though, and lets people be sociable if they’re out on the porch.”

She snorted at that. “Sure, your ‘porch’.” She looked at the tiny balcony, with the two yard chairs and a grill carefully squeezed onto it. “Still can’t believe you two haven’t set the building on fire yet.”

“And I’m surprised that I’m willing to get you breakfast,” he said. “Or anything else, really. Here, you’re welcome.” He tossed something at her.

Ashe caught it, clumsily, and realized it was her phone- fully charged. “Thanks,” she said, quickly checking it. Two texts- one from Firi, one from Inien. With a grimace, she opened the one from Firi first:

_ You seemed v distracted last night. Just a reminder that I’m free on Sunday, if you want to hang out then. _

She bit back a happy yell, a smile lighting her face. Firi wasn’t completely mad at her! She wanted to go out again! Ashe texted her back, saying that she’d definitely plan something, and apologizing for being so out of it last night. Then she looked at Inien’s message, and her heart skipped a beat.

_ Hey, did you meet a stick of a blond guy last night? Blue eyes, lightweight as all hell? Cause a mutual posted this and I think it might be you. I know this guy lives in our city at least. _ _   
_ _ velieveit.tumblr.com/post/190465124093 _

She clicked the link, tapping her foot impatiently as her phone struggled to find a proper signal. “Come on already….”

Finally, it loaded, and she was left staring at a text post, simple text, but it seemed like the most important thing in the world.

_ i rly need to make a dream journal. this shit is ridiculous. she was there. right! there!!! red and green instead of silver and gold, flannel instead of robes. she was even in my arms. but i couldn’t believe it, and i felt so bad for keying up the fella’s anxiety _

_ (speaking of, look at this hunk! he fixed our bedframe last night! only good thing about it, cuz i am hella confuse about the rest fam) _

There was a picture below it, of the big guy from the restaurant last night the one that had come to find the blonde, his sleeves rolled up and a few tools across a hardwood floor in front of him as he knelt next to a twin bed, a blush covering his face as he tried to hide behind his hands and fend the camera off. 

Ashe stared at the picture, trying to be sure, trying to not feel weird. That was definitely the redhead, which meant the poster had to be the blonde- the one that looked so much like her dreams, except for his lack of horns and armor. And he knew her too. So she had to, right?

Right?

Her finger hovered over the message button, debating with herself while she heard Thog and Moren both bustling about in their kitchen and the smell of breakfast started to fill the air. She should just ignore, just forget it happened, apologize to Firi and deal with all of this, shouldn’t she? But the mystery would bug her if she didn’t, and- what were the odds that he lived in her city? That they were even close enough to have bumped into each other in the first place?  
  
She took a deep breath, and tapped the little envelope icon.


	3. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashe and Markus get in contact with each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short break, my work schedule got ridiculous for a bit! We should be back to weekly updates now though!

_ Golden eyes gleamed at him from the shadows. He straightened, running his hands through his hair, but the eyes disappeared as he approached. He frowned, kneeling on the ground and peering into the darkness. He could see her, barely, curled into the space between a tree and the wall. “Indigo Lady?” _

_ She twitched, but didn’t acknowledge him. Her shoulders were shaking, and it was hard to tell for sure, but her clothes seemed dirty too. _

_ He pursed his lips, considering. “Indigo Lady, I know you’re there.” He tapped his face, just under his eye. “Royal blood must see the darkest parts of what they rule, and know the risks that face them, remember?” _

_ She sat up a little, turning towards him. Her eyes shone, even with no light. “I am no risk,” she said, her voice measured. The effect was somewhat ruined as she sniffled and rubbed at her nose with the back of her hand. _

_ He shrugged. “I know that, but something must’ve hurt you, for you to cry so. Why don’t you tell me? Why are you in the Inner Orchard so late?” _

_ She closed her eyes, took a deep breath. “I would rather not, Prince.” _

_ “That’s fine. Why don’t we talk about other things?” He held his hand out to her. “And in more comfort than a corner?” _

_ She stared at him, at his outstretched hand, and he wasn’t sure if she was confused or angry. The moment stretched on, silent and awkward, until she finally reached out and grasped his fingers, her grip stronger than he would’ve expected. _

The door banging open woke Markus. He yawned, stretched his arms out. He’d fallen asleep at his desk, the document for his current book still open. He stood up and walked to the door of his office, peering out into the living room. “Kyr?”

Kyr was leaning way back from the door, a mass of kits and bags in his arms. He kept trying to push the screen door open with his foot, but it wasn’t working very well. “Oh, hi!” he said, noticing Markus. “Sorry, did I bother you?”

“You could’ve asked me for help!” Markus hurried over and opened the door, stepping outside so he could hold it for the redhead.

“I didn’t want to interrupt your work,” Kyr grumbled as he walked outside. “I know you’ve been stuck for a few days.”

Markus rolled his eyes, turned to watch Kyr start loading up his truck. “I never mind helping you, even when I’m in the zone. I promise.” He heard the jingle of their cat running up, and quickly shut the door. “Nuh-uh, MJ, no outside for you right now.” He walked over to the truck, leaning against it. “What’re you headed out for, bud?”

“Dont says Batty brought in a total junker,” Kyr explained, excitement replacing his glum. “They wanna try and part it out, and asked if I could evaluate the parts for them.” He indicated one of the kits. “But maybe I can fix it up a little on the cheap for them, so they can get more out of it and I can have something to fiddle with for a few hours.” He gestured towards the backyard. “I’m almost done with The Underbear, so I’m itching for a new project.”

“I see.” Markus grabbed him and kissed his fingertips, smiling coyly. “Well, I’ll have something for you to work on later.”

Kyr’s face turned bright red, but he returned Markus’ smile. “I’ll try not to tire myself out then,” he promised. He kissed Markus, briefly. “I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah. Love you.”

“Love you too.” Kyr got into the truck, and Markus walked back inside, using his foot to nudge his cat back from the door.

“I told you, no outside today,” he muttered. He headed back into his office and sat at his computer, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to focus, not right away. The dream was still at the edge of his thoughts, distracting him from anything that wasn’t his love. He clicked over to his blog tab, saw that he had a message-

_ Hi, I’m Ashe, we met before, at Fennecci’s? I think we should talk. We both know there’s something weird going on. My email is knifecelt at gmail, feel free to message me whenever. _

His throat tightened. The girl from the restaurant, from his dreams, the one that made him forget about Kyr, about his life, about everything except her. He wanted to answer, but at the same time, his blood ran cold at the thought of it. What if he decided he wanted to run away with her, or something? What if Kyr saw them? His boyfriend knew about the dreams, but Markus also knew that Kyr got anxious very easily, and he didn’t want to cause any lasting problems with him.

But he also knew what Kyr’s answer would be, if he asked for his advice: “You’d always wonder, wouldn’t you? So just go for it, I’ll be at home when you’re done.” Even though he’d worry, he wouldn’t want Markus to turn down a chance like this, he was sure.

So Markus switched to his e-mail, quickly typing a response. He dithered over inviting her to the house or picking somewhere public for a moment, then decided to leave the choice to her, simply letting her know that he could make time whenever she was free. He tapped his fingers against the desk, waiting, waiting, and it only took a minute for a new reply to arrive.  _ Tonight then, about 7, at the Lily Orchard on 32nd. _

_ I’ll be there,  _ he sent back. That gave him five hours to prepare. He took a deep breath. Maybe he’d finally be able to solve this puzzle that had plagued him for so many years.

 

\-----------

 

The orchard was quiet, peaceful. A gentle stream bubbled next to the path through it, chuckling over pebbles and providing a counterpoint to the quiet conversations of other visitors. Markus walked with his hands in his pockets, thinking that he should come here more often. It would be a nice place to sit and think, maybe bring his journal and do some brainstorming now and then. 

He paused at a crossroads, looking around, and finally spotted her. She was wearing a dark hoodie today, but there was no mistaking that puffball of red hair. He approached cautiously, and cleared his throat as he got close to her. “Hi.”

She whirled around, her eyes wide, but she nodded politely to him. “You’re here.” Her hands twitched, and she tucked them behind her back, staring up at him all the while.

For once, Markus felt like he couldn’t find the words he wanted to say. “Y-yeah,” he answered. He waved towards a nearby bench. “Should we sit?”   


“No, this is fine.” Her voice seemed angry, but she took a breath before continuing. “A bench might be… too close, you know?”

So she still felt the itch to touch him, too. He nodded in understanding, and turned towards the tree they stood under. Not looking at her didn’t help, though, it only made him more aware of the distance between them, since he couldn’t see  _ or  _ touch her. “So…” he started, unsure how to broach things. Even knowing that they both had similar dreams, that they both felt the same things, it felt weird to acknowledge.

“So.” Ashe tugged at her hair a little, twisting it around her fingers. “You have the dreams about them too, right? The Indigo Lady and the Horned Prince?”

“Yes.” He was looking at her again, automatically needing to acknowledge her in some way, and raised his hand, wanting to run his own fingers through her hair, but stopped himself and shoved his hands back into his pockets. “Ever since I was a kid. It’s only ever in bits and pieces, but it’s like I have his memories, somehow.”

“And I have hers.”

“Do you have any idea why? Or what happened to them? Have you ever seen if they have a happy ending?” The questions tumbled out easily now. It helped, thinking of them as characters more than memories.

Ashe sighed heavily. “None at all. The last I’ve ever seen is him giving her one of his family’s signets, as she’s going away on a trip.”

“Oh.” Markus thought for a moment. “I don’t think I ever actually experienced that, but I do know he was waiting for her, at one point. Something went wrong on that trip, I think, and he was worried about her for a while.”

Ashe bit her lip and scuffed at the ground with her shoe. “So is that the end of it, then?”

“I don’t think so.” Markus clucked his tongue as he thought it over. “I’ve been having more and more dreams, since I met you, and right before we did. So I think, if we spend more time together, we’ll get more information.”

“And maybe figure out a way to make them stop?” Ashe’s question was hopeful, but her voice wasn’t. “I just don’t want this interfering with my life. I was happy, before this. I’ve got Firi, and it looked like you have someone you love, too.”

Markus smiled, thinking of Kyr. “Yeah. I do.” Their arms suddenly brushed against each other, and he jumped back, barely keeping himself from tripping as he did so. “Sorry! I didn’t realize…”

Ashe  _ had  _ fallen. She shook her head as she got to her feet, grumbling something under her breath. “It’s nothing,” she finally said at him. “Don’t worry about it. We just. We have to be careful, you know? Or else we’ll keep getting pulled to each other.”

“You’re right.” Markus took another step back from her, just to be safe. “So, what now?”

“I guess we… try and meet up?” Ashe shrugged, but pulled her phone out of the bag hanging from her shoulder. “Here, let me give you my number. Once a week should be enough, right?”

“Hopefully.” Markus offered her a smile. “If not, we can always adjust it later.”

Her expression stayed guarded. “Right. For now, how’s Friday afternoons? I usually have the day off then.”

“Sounds great. We can pick a meeting place the day before.” Markus reached for her, wanting to embrace her, to tell her that he’d be far again- but he tried to ignore it, and instead held his hand out as if for a handshake.

She stared at him, seeming angry at first, then a little confused, but then she shook his hand, her grip strong and unyielding. “I’ll see you Friday then.”

“Friday.”

They each let go, and she walked away first. Markus watched her, not wanting to go home quite yet, and saw her glance over her shoulder at him at least three times. Finally, she rounded a corner and was gone, and he was left by himself.

He hadn’t decided to run off with her, and he wasn’t pledging an undying love to a complete stranger, so that was already better than he’d expected. But still, he couldn’t help wondering if he was making a mistake here, simply because of how  _ whole  _ he felt around her.


End file.
